Dear reader,
As I write this, I am becoming acutely aware of the fact that I am an American girl in Spain, unashamedly listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack as she clumsily experiments with writing her first-ever newspaper column. “We don’t claim her,” the Spaniards all chant in unison. Though I am three weeks into my study abroad experience and loving it so far, the seamless integration into Spanish society is still a work in progress.
More often than I anticipated, though, I have found myself lingering on thoughts of Villanova and its homey charm whilst here. Our college days are formative for us all, so many of the lessons we have learned about life and about ourselves likely tie back to Lancaster Ave. As it turns out, I am finding that these lessons seem to apply to life everywhere, international or otherwise. Here, I hope to unpack the (at-times awkwardly executed) application of these teachings with you all and answer one important, terrifying question: how does what we have learned in college apply to our lives beyond Villanova’s campus? Each week, I will share tidbits of wisdom, brought to you by Nova Nation, and discuss how I am testing out their application internationally.
I must preface by saying that I am by no means a philosopher. In fact, I have pushed on approximately 20 doors with “pull” printed on them since arriving on this continent. I still have much to learn, but so do we all.
You have 30 extra seconds. Always hold the door.
When I first arrived on campus, I remember being shocked by just how long people were willing to wait to hold the door open for one another. It is often a bit of an awkward dance as the door-holder decides whether the approaching target is within range or slightly too far away. Yes, I originally received a sidelong glance from the Spanish woman with whom I had a classic door-holding standoff yesterday. In hindsight, she was probably a bit too far away, so my holding of the door may have actually made both of our afternoons more awkward. But in the end, her confusion turned to a smile.
At Villanova, when in doubt, we hold the door. We take one extra moment out of our day to show consideration for a stranger, a simple smile shared as a “thank you.” This works in any language, so you might as well keep doing it wherever you go.
It’s awkward to make new friends: a universal experience.
Allow me to paint a picture some of you may be familiar with: it is freshman year and the second night of college. I am wandering around the famed Water Ice Social utterly alone. With no alternative option aside from social disgrace, I swallow my pride and tap two random girls on their shoulders, asking to join the conversation they are engaged in.
The friend-making skills I learned during freshman year suddenly came back into play when I arrived in Spain, surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar faces. I once again found myself cheerily stating my name and major ten times a day and striking up a conversation on a whim because I liked a girl’s shoes. It was just as awkward as I remembered it. Sometimes this process works, though. I have made exceptionally kind new friends here who, after knowing me for merely two weeks, went all-out to celebrate my birthday with me. And remember those girls I approached on my second night at Villanova? Those are my roommates. When in doubt, fight the awkwardness and put yourself out there. You could be one shoulder-tap away from your future best friend.
You’re never too old (or too cool) to stop and take a picture of the church.
By the end of my freshman year, I felt like a tourist whenever I stopped to take a photo of our beloved church. Here, I’ve found a similar sensation when stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to take pictures of, well, everything. I’ve only been in Spain for three weeks, but judging by the number of orange tree pictures in my camera roll, you would think I had been living here for months.
What I eventually learned at Villanova is that there is always a new angle to be taken of the church or a new sunset to capture behind it. In my personal opinion, it is never uncool to whip out your camera and seize a beautiful moment, even if you’ve seen it 100 times before. Some views just never get old.
